Spray gun for projecting powdered materials



Oct. 2, 1951 R. s. PENNY SPRAY GUN FOR PROJECTING POWDERED MATERIALS Filed Dec. 16, 1949 INVENTOR. RU FUSE. PENNY This invention relates particularly, to a device for injecting powdered materials into the burning contents of a furnace.

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 SPRAY GUN FOR PROJECTING POWDERED MATERIALS Rufus S. Penny, Richmond, Va.

Application December 16, 1949, Serial No. 133,281

2 Claims.

to spray guns and, more The primary object of this invention is to provide a spray gun for injecting chemicals, such as powders for preventing clinkers, into a furnace.

" In common with other spray or injecting appairatus, the present injection device i adapted to be supplied from a suitable source of compressed per and injected into the material surrounding the end of the spike. Heretofore, most such devices have been arranged for injecting chemicals downwardly, as around the roots of a tree. The subject device is intended for substantially hori fzontal operation so that it can be inserted laterally through a furnace door and into a bed of burning coal.

More particularly, the object of this invention is to provide a hollow spike-type injector having a hopper into which chemicals may be maintained while the spike is rotated about its longi-- tudinal axis. By this arrangement the chemical may beinjected upwardly, downwardly, and side- ;Wise into the coal bed without spilling of the supply from the hopper; Another object is to provide, at the operators end of the hollow spike, a rotatable joint which also constitutes a handhold for rotating the spike. Still another object is to provide, near the pointed end of the spike, an outlet opening of gradual, smooth termination so that neither the chemical being dispensed nor the coals being treated will deposit therein.

Other objects are the provision of a hollow spike-type injector operating primarily by pneumatic action but arranged also for gravity and mechanical assistance in the passage of the chemical from the hopper to the air stream.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawing in which the sole figure is a side elevation, broken away in parts t illustrate the interior mechanism.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote similar elements, the spray gun indicated generally at 2 is comprised of an elongated hollow spike 4 of sufficient length for extension into a furnace, a throat section 6 in which pneumatic dispatch is effected, a hopper 8 preferably of a size t accommodate suflicient chemical powder for treating a furnace, and an air fitting l0 adapted for connection via a suitable flexible hose (not shown) to a source of compressed air.

Hopper 8 includes a funnel-like container. I2

-welded at its lower end to a spout tube I4 externally threaded at its lower end for screwing engagement into the internally threaded stem of a T fitting l8. In the left-hand branch 0LT fitting Hi there are a pair of internally-externally threaded reducing thimbles 20, 22 into the interior of which is readily engaged in. the end of a short stem pipe 24 which, in turn, is threadily engaged with a manually-controlling off-on valve 26. On the inlet side of the valve there is threadily engaged a nipple ZBabout which the flexible compressed air hose (not shown) is fitted.

Also threadily supported in reducing thimble 22 is an elongate air blast pipe 30 extending through the interior of T fitting l8 and well into the interior of a casing tube 32 threadily engaged in and extendingfrom the right-hand arm-of T fitting Hi. It is apparent that when hopper 8 is filled with a chemical powder, some of the powder will be gravity fed immediatelyintothe T fitting section l8 of throat 6 so as to be immediately available forpneumatic dispatch. When nipple 28 is connected to a suitable source of compressed air and valve 26 opened, the powder will be dispatched to the right in the air screen as a result of the Venturi action within throat 6. The succeeding powder will be fed downwardly both by the action of gravity and by the succession of the air stem induced. V The right-hand end of casing tube 32 is threaded as at 34 into a ground joint 36. While any one of several well known models for ground joint 36 may be embodied it is important that the exterior member thereof be turnable with respect to casing pipe 32 and, when the exterior member is turned, that hollow spike 4 should turn with it. In the embodiment illustrated ground joint 36 comprises an internally threaded member 38 engaged over the threads 34 of casing tube 32, member 38 having on its end a flange 40 fitting in an L-shaped seat 42 of a nut headed internally member 44, an internally extended flange 46 may be welded or otherwise secure to the end of nut 44 for cooperation with flange 40 for holding the parts in rotatable but substantially air-tight relationship.

On the right hand side of ground joint 36 there is threadily engaged hollow spike 4 preferably formed of an elongated hollow pipe 48 having its end wall cut away as a half moon as indicated at 50. The pointed spike end of hollow spike 4 is formed from a solid bar tapered to a point 52 and having a recess 54 cut therein. The pointed spike end is welded to the end of pipe 48 with the left hand end of recess 54 registering with the liable to become lodged in the opening and, in A event they do, they will be driven out by the .air blast and entrained chemical powders. In order to treat the entire bed of coals adjacent the point at which the hollow spike endisinsentedethe V operator grasps the enlarged nut 44 of ground joint 36 and rotates it with respect to throat 6 so that the chemical powder is uniformly driven through the 360 in the bed ,of .coals. By this mechanism there is no danger of spilling thecontents .of hopper 8 which ;;also is maintained .an upright position for '.:assisting the gravity feedlof thechemical powders ,to-the'throat section 6.

lfthe chemical forms acrust inside of the pipe and-point after a period of time, .thegun should the placed in a vertical position resting on the spike point and tapped :crust.

,Iheinvention entailed above is not limited to the specific. elements shown but is intended to cover all modifications and analysis within the scope of the following'claims.

",I;claim: -1. A spray injector for feeding powderymaj terials :into :the :fuel bedof .furnaces comprising in combination, an elongate hollow open-ended tui-bularcasing'ihaving front and rear ends, an input :tubepn the rear end of saidcasing adapted for iconnection to asource of compressed fluid, said casing :having an opening through the side =wal thereof located adjacent said rear end, a hoppe] Ehavingan opening in the bottom thereof a holilow coupling member supporting said hopperaon said casing and connecting the ,opening'in thebottom of the hopper with the opening :inthe side wall of-said casing whereby, when said casing is held substantially horizontallywithgsaid hopper lightly to remove the upright, gravity assistsmaterialin said -hopperjto may be rotated to inject material from said hop per in various directions while said hopper is 'maintained substantially upright, said relatively small tu eextending across the location of the opening in the side wall of said casing and for a substantial distance forwardly therefrom whereby to deter blow-back into said hopper when said outletopening isblocked. 7 v

2. The combination claimed in claim 1,,said casingbeing diametrically enlarged in the ,1 oc a tion of the opening in the side wall thereof and relatively reduced between said location and-the front end thereof, whereby to provide atemporary repository for the material fed downwardly from said hopper and whereby to-define arelatively reduced throat between the inner wall thereof and said relatively small tube. 7 1 V RUFUS S. PENNY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this .patent:

UNITED STATES PATE NTS 

